1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an efficient method for cultivating garlic plants by using the bulbils thereof.
2. Background Art
Garlic plants are generally cultivated by planting their cloves, which are part of the bulbs, in autumn, and harvesting in summer next year. However, bulbs are the edible part of garlic plants. In other words, according to this cultivation method, bulbs are used for multiplication as well as for harvest, which is why part of them need to be consumed for seeding.
A garlic bulb generally consists of 5 to 10 cloves. When planted, they will yield only 5 to 10 bulbs the next year. On the other hand, onions, which are the same genus, bear thousands of seeds and, thus, yield thousands of bulbs. This fact proves how inefficient the cultivation of garlic plants is as compared to other plants and, therefore, how important it is to improve the method.
About the induction of fleshy clove formation in garlic plants, it has been known that, when exposed to the low temperature in winter, the plants form and swell fleshy cloves from spring toward summer and produce bulbs in summer.
On the other hand, it has been reported by Takagi, et al., that if cloves which have been stored at room temperature are cultivated at a temperature of 20 to 25.degree. C. and a day length of 16 hours, they maintain vegetative growth for as long as 227 days, and that if cloves which have been stored at a low temperature are warmed, the state of fleshy clove formation disappears (Bulletin of Yamagata University (Agricultural Science), Vol. 8, No. 2, Appendix (1979)).